Australia’s Liberal Coalition sets out plans to destroy renewable energy development
Coalition ‘No Friend Of Renewable Energy’ http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3928 6 Sept 13 100% Renewable has come out swinging after recently released Coalition budget costings revealed what it says is ‘a dark and dirty energy future’ for Australia.
According to the group, the costings show not only does the Coalition intend on shutting down the Clean Energy Finance Corporation; but they would also slash their “One Million Solar Roofs” rebate by half and make the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) responsible for delivery of the program. This would lead to a reduction of funding and resources available to ARENA to execute other projects.
National Director of 100% Renewable, Lindsay Soutar, has reminded the Coalition there are over 1 million solar households in Australia and millions of solar-supporting voters. “Today’s announcement is clearly a capitulation to the big power companies who don’t want to see Australia take advantage of our abundant renewable energy resources. It will mean less innovation, less new jobs, and less small, medium and large scale solar projects.”
“By cutting funding to the only remaining clean energy funding body, the Coalition is again revealing it is no friend of renewable energy.”
Ms. Soutar also took exception to the Coalition’s Policy for Resources and Energy (PDF); which she says doesn’t mention the words ‘solar’ or ‘renewable’ even once.
What the Policy does mention frequently and favourably is fossil fuel. RenewEconomy’s Giles Parkinson reports the document promises to “focus on restoring coal-fired power stations to profitability, boost exploration for oil and gas, and to produce another ‘white paper’ on energy.”
Where renewable energy related technology does get a mention; it isn’t positive – the Coalition promises yet another investigation into the health impacts of wind farms; even though so-called Wind Turbine Syndrome has been thoroughly debunked.
“Australians want more renewables,” says Ms. Soutar, “but this announcement again shows that the Coalition is out of touch with ordinary Australian’s vision for a wind and solar powered future.”
Even if Abbott wins, he will find it hard to destroy renewable energy in Australia
Not all doom and gloom for renewables under Coalition REneweconomy, By Stephen Webb on 5 September 2013 Renewable energy has its neck on the guillotine with Messrs Hunt and Hockey holding the blade up with rope, awaiting a nod from the Australian Electoral Commission that they can let go. At least, that’s the impression the electorate might be receiving: carbon price (tax) – gone, CEFC – gone, Clean Technology Program – gone, Climate Change Authority – gone, with as yet unspecified cuts to ARENA as well. In all, $9.1 billion (less according to Labor) in climate change and renewable energy expenditure-related savings.
However, even assuming that the Coalition are able to get these changes through the Senate and pierce former PM Gillard’s “Abbott Proof Fence”, all is not doom and gloom. The Renewable Energy Target (RET) is King and domestic and international developers are not abandoning Australia like some may think. Continue reading
If elected, Tony Abbott will find it hard to dismantle Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
Greens find clean energy sticking point SMH, September 4, 2013 Paul Osborne, AAP Senior Political Writer A federal coalition government won’t be able to immediately stop clean energy grants being paid out without amending legislation, the Australian Greens say. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has said if the coalition wins the election on Saturday it will order the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to stop paying out grants and then abolish the $10 billion fund.
But Greens Leader Christine Milne has received advice from the Clerk of the Senate showing Mr Abbott and finance spokesman Andrew Rodd can’t stop the corporation carrying out its work without the parliament amending legislation. “Mr Abbott and Mr Robb are arrogantly assuming they can usurp the role of the parliament to direct the CEFC to halt its legislative function. They can’t,” Senator Milne told the National Press Club.
“Only the parliament can repeal the carbon price and only the parliament can stop the roll out of renewable energy by the CEFC.” She said that was why voters should support the Greens on election day.
“We will protect the environment, address global warming and continue Australia’s path to a clean energy economy,” she said in Canberra on Wednesday. Senate clerk Rosemary Laing said in her written advice a minister could decline to authorise payments to the CEFC “and so starve them of funds”.
“However, a minister who declined to carry out a statutory function … contrary to the will of the parliament, would risk serious legal consequences, in addition to any legal action that could arise if lack of funding led to defaulting on specific contracts,” she wrote.
“It seems unlikely, in my view, that any government would contemplate such a course of action……. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/greens-find-c
Warren Mundine – Tony Abbott’s Unelected Aboriginal Man for Australia
many Aboriginal people in the NT remain unconvinced of the elegance, and legitimacy of Mundine’s manifesto.
Maurie Ryan, Chair of the NT’s Central Land Council questions the LNP’s anointment of Mundine as head of the Indigenous Advisory Council.
The members of the [Central] Land Council find it unacceptable that policy affecting them may be dictated by somebody who doesn’t understand the issues affecting them. Unfortunately Mr Mundine seems to be unaware of the significant changes made in recent years and he needs to update his knowledge of the current situation in the Northern Territory
Abbott wins the election on this Saturday, Warren Mundine will most likely become the most powerful Aboriginal person in the country. He will lead the Abbott’s Indigenous Advisory Council, an as yet vague entity that will be unelected and, in the minds of many, an unrepresentative body providing Abbott with high-level policy advice in his “Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs” morph.Australia’s election September 7 – nuclear power, uranium, and climate change
How do the parties stack up on nuclear power and uranium mining, uranium enrichment,, nuclear wastes?
How do they stack up on climate change?
Australian Greens will stand firm in the Senate – for carbon pricing, action on climate change
Christine Milne warns Greens must retain balance of power in Senate to block repeal of carbon tax ABC By Monique Ross 4 Sept 13, Greens leader Christine Milne has warned voters that unless her party retains the balance of power in the Senate, Tony Abbott may have free rein to “tear down carbon pricing mechanisms”.
The Opposition Leader has today reaffirmed his commitment to repealing the carbon price in favour of his Direct Action policy if he is elected to the top job. While Labor MPs have said they would block the move, Mr Abbott says that would be political suicide, and has repeatedly threatened to call a double dissolution election on the issue.
Senator Milne says the Greens are needed in the Senate to “stand firm against Tony Abbott” for the sake of the global environment. “If Tony Abbott has effective control of both houses, then he will be able to do as he likes,” she told ABC News 24’s Capital Hill.
“He will be able to tear down the carbon pricing mechanisms. He will be able to get rid of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Who knows what he would do to the environment.
“It is critical that the people who actually believe the science, who want this to be evidence-based policy, are there to argue it because Tony Abbott doesn’t believe in evidence-based policy. He thinks climate change is crap.”
Senator Milne rounded on Mr Abbott’s concession that his policy may not succeed in reaching Australia’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 5 per cent by 2020. “He has been able to get off the hook here. Nobody has really unpacked his Direct Action farce,” she said.
“Is he walking away from his 5 per cent reduction target? Greg Hunt says they’re not and Tony Abbott says they are.”
She did not let the Government off the hook either, saying that Greens Senators are needed to “keep Labor on track”.
“We will never support reducing action on climate change and as long as we’re there in balance of power, we will be able to shame Labor into standing up and holding the line,” she said.
“Otherwise who knows where they would go on this either.”
Earlier, Labor figures including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Environment Minister Mark Butler said the party would not give in to Mr Abbott’s push to repeal the carbon tax.
“Carbon pricing is fundamental to how you deal with climate change,” Mr Rudd said.
“Any alternative response to that is just intellectually dishonest.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-03/milne-says-greens-senators-vital-to-carbon-tax-future/4932712
Carbon pricing: position of Liberal Coalition, Labor, and Greens
AUDIO: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-03/is-carbon-pricing-key-or-ripe-for-abolition/4932722 Is carbon pricing key or ripe for abolition? ABC radio, 3 Sep 2013″………MARK COLVIN: Fourteen-and-a-half million people are eligible to vote this Saturday and already, more than one and a half million of them have had their say, either through pre-poll booths or postal votes.
If the Coalition wins, Tony Abbott says he’ll have a mandate to abolish the carbon tax, and that Labor should recognise that. And he isn’t ruling out a double dissolution on it. But the Climate Change Minister Mark Butler says Labor won’t cave in, and the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says pricing carbon is fundamental to dealing with climate change.
Chief political correspondent Sabra Lane…….
KEVIN RUDD: If every government took that position that he has taken, what’s the net consequence? The net consequence is that all governments would walk away from hard action on this, the planet would continue to endure global warming, and as a result, we’d provide a very uncertain future for our kids.
I think the contrast is very clear and reflects poor judgement.
SABRA LANE: He later accused Mr Abbott of walking away from the bipartisan commitment to cut CO2 emissions.
KEVIN RUDD: He’s not fair dinkum about climate change, and when yesterday he made it very explicit that he was walking away from his 5 per cent commitment if his so-called Direct Action farce did not work, then that says everything to everybody out there who follows these debates with any degree of closeness.
SABRA LANE: Tony Abbott’s often couched this election as a referendum on the carbon tax, saying if the Coalition wins he’ll consider it a mandate to scrap the tax.
But on RN (Radio National), the Climate Change Minister Mark Butler dismissed talk of mandates……..
KEVIN RUDD: Carbon pricing is fundamental to how you deal with climate change. Any alternative response to that is just intellectually dishonest…….
The Greens, meanwhile, are arguing for the status quo in the Senate. Its leader, Senator Christine Milne:
CHRISTINE MILNE: And Tony Abbott has now become so arrogant that he is assuming that he’s already got The Lodge. What he’s now coming after this week is control of the Senate as well, absolute power and control of both Houses of Parliament and the Liberal Party advertising is going in that direction.
And that’s why the Greens are standing firm saying if you don’t want Tony Abbott to have absolute power, then vote for The Greens in the Senate.
Tony Abbott abandons climate change action
As the world warms, Abbott goes backwards The Age 4 Sept 13, Like the anectodal frogs in a gradually heated pot of water, our would-be leaders seem inured to climate change. While the major economic blocs are moving to tougher carbon pricing regimes to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, Australia’s contenders for government have shown little urgency on this issue during the federal election campaign.
Coalition leader Tony Abbott has just walked away from a long-term, albeit modest, bipartisan commitment to a 5 per
cent reduction in the nation’s emissions from 2000 levels by 2020. He now promises only ”as much emission reduction as we can for the spending that we’ve budgeted”. That is not nearly enough, according to several independent analyses of the Coalition’s ”Direct Action” policy of taxpayer-funded payments to primary producers and industry to cut emissions.
Mr Abbott has shed any pretence that he sees emission cuts as a priority. Good governments, though, heed expert advice, and the advice from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the CSIRO, the World Meteorological Organisation and national scientific and climate research agencies around the world is clear…….
Draw the line in the Senate Very few people know this, but legally you can vote both ways on the Senate ballot paper. In other words, instead of completing either option, voters can do both: the short-cut above-line and the more time-consuming below-line procedure. Below takes precedence, but if the vote is informal the above-line option comes into play.
Call to Greg Bickley, Liberal for Bendigo: are you a climate change denialist?
A real local would commit to renewable energy http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/1751662/a-real-local-would-commit-to-renewable-energy/?cs=79 By Ivan Kitt, Bendigo Sept. 4, 2013,
I would like to ask Greg Bickley if he actually believes that climate change is happening, or is he a sceptic like Tony Abbott and the majority of the Coalition?
Also, does he support the need for renewable energy?
This state once supported wind farms under the previous Labor government, but under Ted Baillieu this project was scrapped, and even with the recycling of Dennis Napthine he hasn’t made any substantial announcements on climate change or renewable energy, although I believe he has agreed to establishing them in his electorate.
If you consider yourself a local Mr Bickley then you should answer yes to these questions.
Because if you don’t then you are not fair dinkum in your promises to create jobs, ease unemployment, improve the economy and support the local community these project would cover all those areas.
And it would appear that you will be a puppet on a string following the party lines and you wouldn’t be a strong voice for the community, whereas Lisa Chesters has already aired her disapproval to the asylum set-up proposed by Labor.
It would be a case of Bendigo being short-changed again by the Coalition.
Top Aboriginal body scathing about Abbott, and not keen on Labor, either
Peak Aboriginal organisation lashes Abbott and ticks off Labor BY:PATRICIA KARVELAS From:The Australian September 04, 2013 THE peak body representing Aborigines has criticised Tony Abbott for his lack of commitment to the organisation and failure to acknowledge the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in an evaluation of the major parties that was sent to its members.
The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples questioned the major parties on their commitment to advancing the interests of Aborigines.
It says the ALP supported the UN declaration in April 2009, and in 2010 gave moral and financial support for the establishment of the congress, but “regrettably the ALP has yet to address the declaration to any meaningful extent”.
The congress said it was not aware of the Coalition having made any official announcements on the UN declaration or the rights of first peoples.
“The Coalition has not expressed support for representation and decision-making,” it said.
It noted that the Opposition Leader had instead made commitments to manage indigenous affairs from the portfolio of prime minister and cabinet, and to establish an indigenous advisory council headed by Warren Mundine. Continue reading
Liberal candidate for Hume, Angus Taylor, tipped to fight against renewable energy
Controversial wind farm gets clean bill of health SMH, September 3, 2013 Peter Hannam “……….Opposition hopes Lyn Jarvis, a member of the Bodangora Wind Turbine Awareness Group, said her community group remains opposed to the wind farm despite the NSW Health and Planning Assessment Commission’s findings.
Ms Jarvis said the commission had ignored an independent noise assessment by Steven Cooper, an acoustics technician that found the wind turbines would be harmful.
“It’s fallen on deaf ears,” she said. “We had 94 per cent of the submissions against the development.”
The group is pinning its hopes on the election of Liberal candidate for Hume, Angus Taylor, to help lead a pushback against renewable energy, particularly wind farms.
“Hopefully, he will pull the renewable energy credits and it won’t get built – or any wind farms won’t get built in inappropriate places,” Ms Jarvis said. http://www.smh.com.au/business/carbon-economy/controversial-wind-farm-gets-clean-bill-of-health-20130903-2t1u2.html#ixzz2dxXonk7R
Australian Greens the only party to stand up and speak out for climate action
Greens say climate change being ignored http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/greens-say-climate-change-being-ignored/story-fni0xqi4-1226708983674 AAP SEPTEMBER 02, 2013
THE Australian Greens say the issue of climate change has been sidelined in the federal election campaign.
The Greens’ Sydney candidate Dianne Hiles says it’s shameful how little exposure climate has had during the campaign. “It’s the elephant in the room,” Ms Hiles told AAP. “It’s so big and it’s getting so little air time.
“My concern is that we’ve just had the hottest year on record – these sort of extreme events aren’t going to go away.”The Greens are the only party prepared to stand up to Big Coal and Big Gas and stop them undermining the future viability of this country.”
Greens NSW Senate candidate Cate Faehrmann urged voters to think about the world they would be leaving their children and grandchildren.
Tony Abbott’s reputation in question, over his climate policy that won’t work
Emissions shortfall a risk to reputation : http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/emissions-shortfall-a-risk-to-reputation-20130902-2t165.html#ixzz2dsy1XQ51 September 3, 2013 Tom Arup Environment editor, The Age Amid its bitter campaign against the carbon price the Coalition has maintained one significant foundation – ”we may hate the method, but we will achieve the same outcome”.
That outcome is at least a 5 per cent cut to emissions by decade’s end on 2000 levels, and more ambitious reductions if the world takes actions to curb climate change. These targets have enjoyed bipartisan support for about five years.
Abbott told the audience the Coalition would not increase its spending on cutting carbon dioxide under direct action, even if its efforts were going to fall short of what is needed to meet the 2020 target. ”The bottom line is we will spend as much as we have budgeted, no more and no less. We will get as much environmental improvement, as much emissions reduction as we can for the spending that we’ve budgeted,” he said.
That budget is $3.2 billion over the next four years. Out of that, $2.55 billion will be spent paying industry and farmers to carry out projects to reduce emissions, the rest on planting trees and installing more rooftop solar. Abbott said he was confident the Coalition would meet the 5 per cent cut with the money on offer. But several independent economic modelling studies dispute this.
One, commissioned by the Climate Institute, found the Coalition was $4 billion short and direct action could instead see emissions rise 9 per cent above 2000 levels instead of 5 below. The assumptions made in Climate Institute modelling were kind to the Coalition.
Other work has found larger holes. Voters have to take Abbott on faith that what is on the table is enough to meet our emissions commitments. And at this stage there is little to support his claim. Australia’s emissions per person are some of the highest in the developed world. And we have pledged to the international community we will make inroads on our contribution to the pollution problem warming our planet. If we do not – and fall short of our promises – we discredit ourselves as a global citizen.
Tony Abbott’s subservience to climate denialists might be his undoing
The conversation on global warming has been stalled because a shrinking group of denialists fly into a rage when it’s mentioned. It’s like a family with an alcoholic father who flies into a rage every time a subject is mentioned and so everybody avoids the elephant in the room to keep the peace.For any political leader unwilling to exercise leadership on the issue, trying to respond to climate change leaves them uncertain which way to turn. Continue reading
Tony Abbott prepared to break his pledge on reducing carbon emissions
Tony Abbott willing to break emissions pledge over funding hole The Age September 2, Jonathan Swan Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has branded the election a referendum on the carbon tax and said it would be “unimaginable” for a defeated Labor Party to stop him repealing the tax.
Mr Abbott also confirmed categorically – for the first time – that he would break the Coalition’s pledge on greenhouse reduction targets if it cost more money than he had budgeted for.
The Opposition Leader spent about 15 minutes of a 20 minute address to the National Press Club hammering Labor on the carbon tax. If elected the Coalition would repeal the tax within its first year in government, Mr Abbott promised………
Mr Abbott confirmed he was prepared to break the Coalition’s pledge to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 5 per cent by 2020 (on the levels recorded in 2000). Estimates by Treasury and independent modelling companies suggest that the Coalition’s $3.2 billion Direct Action policy will fall several billion dollars short of reaching the targets.
“The bottom line is we will spend as much as we have budgeted, no more and no less,” Mr Abbott said. : http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/tony-abbott-willing-to-break-emissions-pledge-over-funding-hole-20130902-2t0fh.html#ixzz2dnJ1CXjy
1 This month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
21 April Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-04-21 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-04-21 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
Event Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.
Host Contact Info: australia@icanw.org
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 